Vietnam, UNDP Sign Deal on GCF-funded Agro Resilience Project

Officials from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have signed an agreement for the agricultural resilience project relating to climate change, which is funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), state media reported. The project, named “Strengthening the resilience of smallholder agriculture to climate change-induced water insecurity in the Central Highlands and south-central coast regions of Vietnam” (SACCR), has received a non-refundable capital worth $30.2 million from the GCF. It has also utilized and promoted the co-financing of $126 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Vietnamese government on modernizing irrigation infrastructure. SACCR will be implemented in five provinces, namely Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, and Khanh Hoa, from 2021 to 2026. It will address core issues of water security for smallholder farmers as well as assist farmers, especially women, ethnic minorities, and poor farmers, to become more resilient to climate change risks. The project will help more than 222,400 women and men in five localities, or equivalent to 10% of the locality’s population, modernize irrigation systems, improve water security and livelihood options, increase knowledge of climate risks and agricultural engineering resilience, and access to climate and market advice. Besides, more than 335,000 women and men will benefit indirectly from capacity building through training and technical assistance, increased access to information on climate risks, and practices on smart agriculture adapting to climate change. Furthermore, the project also supports another GCF project on building flood resilience capacity of poor vulnerable communities in 28 coastal provinces in Vietnam, which is supported by the UNDP, said Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam. (Bo Nong Nghiep & Phat Trien Nong Thon, mard.gov.vn, baodaknong.org.vn, baotainguyenmoitruong.vn, thanhnien.vn, cpo.vn, nongnghiep.vn, sggp.org.vn, bnews.vn)